Barcelona will be looking to return to a winning streak in La Liga when they host Real Betis on Saturday night. Despite a recent 1-2 loss to Rayo Vallecano, Xavi's side still lead the table with an 11-point gap over second-placed Real Madrid, who have played the same number of games (31). Meanwhile, Real Betis is in fifth place and six points behind fourth-placed Real Sociedad in the top four.
Barcelona's form has declined in recent weeks, having won only one of their previous five matches in all competitions and have only won five points out of their last 12 in La Liga.
Even so, Real Madrid are also struggling with their own domestic problems, allowing Xavi's side to maintain an overwhelming position at the top of the table. With seven matches remaining, Barcelona are 11 points behind the defending champions.
Last Sunday, Barcelona won 1-0 against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou. However, they were unable to capitalize on that win and lost to Rayo 2-1 on Wednesday night.
The visitors have also faced similar difficulties with recent results, making their chances of finishing in the top 4 significantly affected. Manuel Pellegrini's army has only won one of the last five matches in the league, after defeats against Atletico, Cadiz and Osasuna. On Tuesday night, Real Betis held a goalless draw with Real Sociedad. However, the result is more favorable for the Basque club, who are still 4th in the table, 6 points ahead of Pellegrini's side who are currently in 5th place.
This weekend, Barcelona will have Ousmane Dembele and Andreas Christensen in their squad as both players have recovered from injuries. However, it is more likely that they will come off the bench.
Sergio Busquets, who missed the previous game against Rayo due to suspension, will return to play. However, Sergi Roberto's ability to return to the team is in doubt as he is struggling with a hamstring problem.
Busquets is expected to start in central midfield, with the return of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong. As a result, Gavi is at greater risk of being pushed off the field and Ferran Torres could be benched.
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